Longtime Birmingham radio host Patti Wheeler dies

[Syrinx]

I never really listened to her, to be honest. I was never a big country fan. (Though there are certain country artists and songs that I love.) But I remember when "Patti And Dollar Bill" were a big thing in Birmingham.

I don't know her politics, but her attitude and humor reminded me of Molly Ivins.

Ms. Wheeler was married seven times. She and her last husband, Stan Daugherty, had been married for 17 years when he died in 2006.

"To tell the truth, I'm not sure I ever wanted to get married at all," she said in the 2004 story. "But every time somebody asked me, I didn't want to hurt their feelings."

It was that candid nature, along with her raspy voice and sense of humor, that connected with listeners on the radio. She was a larger-than-life character both on the air and off, and listeners identified with her.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/02/longtime_birmingham_radio_host.html